TURBINE THREAT

A possible proposal to erect a 100 metre high wind turbine a mile from Stansfield has emerged more than three months after being lodged with local planners at St Edmundsbury borough council.

The site, at Wales End Farm, Cavendish is in picturesque countryside about a mile from Stansfield and close to three sites of special scientific interest – Northey Wood, Long Wood and King’s Wood – and the locally designated Hawkedon Special landscape Area.

I only found out about the turbine by chance recently although an application was lodged with St Edmundsbury by Renewables First on 29 August last year requesting a technical EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) screening opinion for the erection of a turbine.

“Renewables First Ltd is proposing to submit a planning application for a single wind turbine…which will have a maximum blade tip height of 99.5 metres,” the company based in Stroud said.

St Edmundsbury replied on 31 October saying the proposed turbine did not trigger the requirement for an EIA.

The decision was taken by officers, without consulting or informing the local district councillor, Peter Stevens, the local parish councils or me.

All this at a time when St Eds’ planning team is working on what is called a ‘Statement of Community Involvement’ outlining how the council will keep local communities informed of local planning applications.

I only found out when a town councillor in Clare spotted the EI papers on the St Edmundsbury website and raised it with me. I alerted Peter Stevens along with Cavendish, Hawkedon, Poslingford and Stansfield Parish Councils.